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Blur announce new album Magic Whip and confirm British Summer Time Hyde Park comeback gig

Damon Albarn and co will be back with new material later this year

Jess Denham
Thursday 19 February 2015 09:44 EST
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British band Blur perform live in 2013
British band Blur perform live in 2013 (Getty Images)

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Blur are reuniting for a new album and comeback gig, it has been confirmed.

Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree will be headlining British Summer Time Hyde Park later this year alongside Taylor Swift, The Who and Kylie Minogue.

Blur will be the only band ever to play Hyde Park four times after this performance, Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe said during a live Chinatown press conference to announce the news.

Tickets go on sale on Friday 27 February at 9am with the show taking place on Saturday 20 June.

Blur are also working on their first studio album as four-piece in 16 years, The Magic Whip, the cover art for which was printed in The Sun this morning.

The cover art for Blur's new album The Magic Whip
The cover art for Blur's new album The Magic Whip (Blur)

The sleeve shows an ice-cream cone and Chinese symbols lit up in neon. The lettering translates to read "Blur: The Magic Whip" and it will be released on 27 April.

The tracklisting for new Blur album The Magic Whip
The tracklisting for new Blur album The Magic Whip (Blur)

Britpop band Blur first formed in 1988 in London before releasing their first album Leisure three years later.

Fans can pre-orderThe Magic Whip on Amazon now. Doing so by 11am on Monday 23 February will give you access to a 71-hour pre-sale window during which you can purchase up to two tickets for the Hyde Park show.

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